Joseph of Cupertino
Joseph of Cupertino, OFMConv (17 June 1603 – 18 September 1663) was an Italian Conventual Franciscan friar and mystic and venerated as a saint. According to traditional Franciscan accounts, he was "remarkably unclever", but experienced miraculous levitation and ecstatic visions throughout his life which made him the object of scorn.
He applied to the Conventual Franciscan friars, but was rejected due to his lack of education. He then pleaded with them to serve in their stables. After several years of working there, he had impressed the friars so much with the devotion and simplicity of his life that in 1625 he was admitted to their Order, destined to become a priest.
His struggles in being ordained to the priesthood required two providential coincidences involving his exams. These incidents have earned him the title of the patron of students, exam takers and those with learning difficulties or disabilities, while his levitation has earned him the patronage of pilots and those traveling by air.
Patron saint of The City of Copertino and the City of Osimo; aviation; astronauts; mental handicaps; examinations; students
In the Martyrology
- September 18 Saint Joseph of Cupertino, Conventual Franciscan priest